Ethiopia distances itself from comments made by Hailemariam
The Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Meles Alem said that the Foreign Affairs Minister of Egypt, Sameh Shoukri has continued his trend of offering unhelpful comments on the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) after the failure of the latest round of Dam talks in Sudan.
The Foreign Minister was heard giving controversial comments and statements regarding the talks. Furthermore, he was heard accusing Ethiopia and Sudan stating that he is unhappy about the progress of the talks.
In a press conference held at the Ministry on May 10, 2018, the spokesperson said that “Ethiopia regrets to hear such accusations from the foreign minister while the countries are preparing for the second tripartite high-level ministerial meeting due to take place in a few weeks in Addis Ababa”.
Furthermore, he added that Shoukri’s statement is against the good working spirit of the three countries.
Shoukri was quoted frequently in the past commenting on the construction of the GERD and its effect on the down-stream countries.
The talk, held in Khartoum, Sudan on April 6, 2018, failed to succeed after a long meeting among the three water ministers: Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt.
After the failed discussions, the Egyptian water Minister had reportedly called for a new talk supposedly to be held on April 20. However, according to sources, Ethiopia and Sudan did not respond.
Eventually, the three water ministers agreed to meet in Addis Ababa on May 15, according to the Spokesperson.
In related news, the Spokesperson while responding to questions raised by journalists regarding a recent comment made by the former Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegne about President Salva Kiir of South Sudan, said that the former PM is now a private citizen and that his comments stand with him and him alone.
Hailermariam during his appearance at MO Ibrahim’s Governance Weekend held in Kigali, Rwanda, said that President Salva Kiir should resign and hand over power to the young generation.
The Spokesperson has also stated that Ethiopia appreciates efforts made Inter Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to bring peace in South Sudan.
